I have had snails in the past, but they have always died. The longest I had one was about a year or so before it died. I want to keep one again in a 5 gallon filtered tank with a betta. But I don't want to kill the snail. I am not sure what I was doing wrong last time.

So, do they have special needs? the last one I had liked to come up to the surface whenever I was around the tank, and he'd like lean back, and wait for me to put a piece of food right on his little mouth...he was a great snail!! The tank was cycled and everything.

I thought maybe they just have a short life span, but I've seen them in stores, and they were HUGE, so I don't know.

Hi Grain.
Yes, snails do have some requirements and definitely need a fully cycled tank, as they react badly the minute the params are even slightly 'off'. They need 2.5 gals each and like quite a high GH/KH for their shells - you can add liquid calcium if it seems the water does not have enough alkalinity. My old snail - a Briggs - used to love zucchini, cucumber and dark greens, all cooked enough to soften them.
Golden don'ts: no salt and no meds; snails are more closely related to parasites than fish and will not survive most meds.
As far as I know the Briggs can live for around 2 years (Devs is the expert and may say longer?) and can reach the size of a golf ball - around 2". Anything bigger, and it's likely to be a Cana.
Hope this helps.
Pixie

PS Your old snail sounds a real character coming right up to be hand fed!

Thanks Pixie!! He was the best snail! he'd just sit there and wait for the food...it was the cutest thing. I was really sad to see him go

I think maybe he was at his life span if you say around 2 years, it might have actually been that long that I had him (I can't remember exactly) But he had grown quite a bit during the time that we had him.

I do not have high gh or kh, and I do have liquid calcium that I bought for that snail as well.

I am going to give it another go once I get my betta tank fully cycled.

Thanks again

I've never heard of a hand fed snail before, your one must have been something special.